machinate

verb

ˈma-kə-ˌnāt How to pronounce machinate (audio)
Definition of machinatenext
1
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends a trio of courtiers who were discovered to be machinating against the queen

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care the hackers machinated a way to steal credit numbers from the company's Web site

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of machinate But Cleopatra, still machinating away in Alexandria, couldn’t handle the thought of Herod gaining any further traction in Antony’s affections. — Anne Thériault, Longreads, 18 Dec. 2019 Now a new scheme described by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal involves families seemingly machinating to get an unfair leg up in paying for a coveted seat at a university. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 30 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinate
  1. plot
  2. negotiate
  3. scheme
  4. manipulate
  5. arrange
  6. engineer
  7. contrive
Verb
  • In Agamemnon’s absence, Clytemnestra plotted her revenge for the death of their daughter.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • AutoCaptain uses six stereo cameras and NVIDIA processing for 360-degree environmental understanding, plotting paths and avoiding obstacles via computer vision and machine learning.
    — Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of plot
Verb
  • Although Chism is on administrative leave, the deals she’s participated in negotiating on behalf of Wyandotte County will remain ongoing in her absence, the Unified Government told The Star after her arrest.
    — Sofi Zeman July 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
  • Mendieta is best known for work that interweaves sadness with violence, drawing on her experiences of exile and her feminist politics to negotiate the transient fragility of life.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of negotiate
Verb
  • No, special teams coach Dave Toub shouldn’t spend sleepless nights scheming up how to improve his team’s field-goal defense for next season.
    — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • The true Daeron now graduates to a speaking role with the release of episode 4, as the scheming head of House Hightower now plots to put the young royal on the Iron Throne.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
Definition of scheme
Verb
  • Raving can be traced to the late 1980s, when artists like DJ Pierre and Spanky sparked a bright but short flame of acid house in Chicago clubs, manipulating synthesizers to create squelchy beats dancers could jack their bodies to.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
  • Today’s elite are going to extraordinary lengths to manipulate their microclimates, from morphing mansions to underground snow rooms.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 15 July 2026
Definition of manipulate
Verb
  • These icons—including symbols associated with hygiene, nature, science, sustainability, food, and culture—are arranged to form a large letter U, echoing the original corporate logo while also reflecting the company’s commitment to diversity.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
  • According to the court judgment, the pair arranged for employees and associates to drive up bidding prices at auction, inducing the collector, identified under the pseudonym Li Pin, to purchase the items at inflated prices.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Fiji didn't concede to Scotland until the 14th minute, a try by lock Jonny Gray from a break engineered by midfield clubmates McDowall and Ollie Smith.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Restaurants must intentionally engineer experiences and incentives that guide guests past that specific loyalty threshold.
    — Joseph Edgar, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of engineer
Verb
  • The British hotel chain Malmaison contrived the United Kingdom’s first prison-into-hotel conversion as part of an urban renewal project at Oxford Castle, situated between Oxford’s train station and shopping district.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026
  • Both those courts upheld the 2022 statewide congressional map that DeSantis contrived to purge a Black congressman, Al Lawson of Tallahassee.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026
Definition of contrive

Browse Nearby Words

Machiavellian
machinate
machinated
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Cite this Entry

“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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